Instabilities near the QCD phase transition in the holographic models

TL;DR

This paper investigates the stability and sound propagation near the QCD phase transition using holographic models, analyzing phase coexistence, wall dynamics, and tunneling phenomena close to the critical temperature.

Contribution

It introduces a simplified holographic framework to study phase coexistence, wall motion, and tunneling near the QCD transition, providing new insights into stability and dynamics.

Findings

No instabilities found in other first order phase transitions.

Significant changes in sound propagation and dissipation near the transition.

Calculated tunneling probabilities for phase transition barriers.

Abstract

The paper discusses phenomena close to the critical QCD temperature, using the holographic model. One issue studied is the overcooled high-T phase, in which we calculate quasi normal sound modes. We do not find instabilities associated with other first order phase transitions, but nevertheless observe drastic changes in sound propagation/dissipation. The rest of the paper considers a cluster of the high-T phase in the UV in coexistence with the low-T phase, in a simplified ansatz in which the wall separating them is positioned only in the holographic coordinate. This allows to find the force on the wall and classical motion of the cluster. When classical motion is forbidden, we evaluate tunneling probability through the remaining barrier.